 A PROJECT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY CAN BE PROUD OF The Church of Scotland had been using the former church, St. Cuthbert’s, on the town’s High Street, as a church hall. When they built a new hall attached to the parish church, St Cuthbert’s became surplus to their requirements and they offered it for sale to the local community. A series of public meetings took place. The decision to buy the building for community use was made by Coldstream residents and with the generous help of the Earl of Home who provided a substantial loan towards the purchase of the building, the former church was bought. Coldstream Community Trust (St Cuthbert’s), a charitable organisation (SCO27990), was established in 1998 and its management committee then set about raising money to develop the building into a community centre. Development of the centre was made possible by the commitment of the people of Coldstream to the project, with people contributing many hours of time getting the building useable and raising funds. The building had to be made secure from the elements, before the extensive conversion work could begin. Disabled access and toilets were installed. A new kitchen and additional toilets were built. New flooring, heating and lighting was provided. The internal layout of the building was significantly changed, providing a stage, a large multi-purpose hall, a smaller hall, dedicated space for the youth club and after school club, a kitchen and an internet cafe. The discovery of extensive dry rot during the conversions did not detract from the enthusiasm and commitment to the completion of the project. The unfaltering support of the 200+ members of the 200 Club, who pay £5 a month with the chance of winning money in the monthly draw, has been absolutely vital in keeping revenue going while the building was in the process of being converted into a community centre and it continues to play a crucial role in the centre’s financial viability. Since November 2000 the trust has successfully applied for many grants from a wide range of organisations to help with the conversion of the building, attracting £221,238 of funding. The most significant grant was £88,732 from the National Lottery’s Peoples Millions competition in November 2007 when regional television viewers voted for the community projects they wanted to win the £80,000 grants. Coldstream Community Centre attracted a phenomenal number of telephone votes – more than anywhere else in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales and was the fifth highest across the UK despite being one of the smallest towns in the competition. Youth services are now established to deliver youth work, child care and an After Schools Club. Funds were successfully sought to finance the employment of a youth team manager and youth workers, who now run a well respected service. The After School Club has been running since 2001. The success of the youth project has been recognised through the award of Youthlink Volunteer of the Year to Mark Heatley, an active young participant in the project. The After School Club has received excellent ratings for its management from the Care Commission The Community Centre was officially opened in November 2008 with an internet café, a large hall featuring a stage and sport court markings, a smaller hall and fully equipped kitchen. Additionally an upstairs area is dedicated to the delivery of activities for young people. Staffing The community centre has: a development manager, administrator, janitor and cleaner. The Youth Project employs: a manager, an office administrator, and a number of youth work staff. All staff hold enhanced disclosures. The Community Trust carries insurance
The building is licensed for
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